


Protecting Their Love

by MJayne2004



Series: Adopting The Twins [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:28:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24251332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MJayne2004/pseuds/MJayne2004
Summary: When Nick Fury calls, demanding answers, Natasha must try to make him see reason while Clint offers her and beautiful escape; the only problem...no one else knows about it.
Relationships: Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov, Nick Fury & Natasha Romanov, Pepper Potts & Natasha Romanov, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff & Natasha Romanov, Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers, Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Series: Adopting The Twins [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1696393
Comments: 19
Kudos: 44





	Protecting Their Love

"Are you alright, Miss Wanda?" The young girl grinned lightly as she exited her and Pietro's shared room, the darkened moonlight and eclipsed stars, which twinkled perfectly, glittering through the long windows placed at the end of the corridor. The remaining members of the family were asleep; it was late at night, almost one in the morning to be exact, and the week of long meetings and introductions had exhausted the family. After officially beginning to foster the twins -a task which led to an extremely emotional conversation with the small children who began to realise that they would  _ not  _ be left again- Natasha and Steve busied themself and the team with preparing their bedroom, allowing Pepper the opportunity to settle the final details. 

They choose a room at the end of the hallway, close to the staircase, and renewed it until Tony was happy that it suited the twins perfectly -he had taken the role of foster uncle naturally, spoiling the children with his humorous jokes and full attention. It was excellent; with a small border standing in the centre of the room, separating the twin-sized beds on each side, and decorated with the twin's new toys. Despite Tony's clear love for the twins, they were treated equally, with each side of the room matching the other. The family quickly grew to love the small children, settling perfectly into their new routine as the twins grew to adore their new home. 

"You look extremely tired, Miss Wanda" Even Jarvis had grown to care for the children, sounding worried for Wanda as she leant tiredly against the wall of the hallway. "Should you not go back to sleep?" 

"I am tired" Wanda huffed with a small laugh as the corners of her lip drew upwards into a weak smile. "I can't sleep, Jarvis. I don't know what's wrong with me" 

"Restlessness, Miss Wanda" Jarvis began, "It's a sign of many illnesses. Do you wish for me to alert Dr Banner?" 

"No" Wanda sighed, "He worries too much" She chuckled tiredly. "Umm...Jarvis, can you tell me where Natasha is?" Throughout her stay, Wanda had grown exceptionally close to the spy, content to rely on the constant support until she and Pietro inevitably left. 

"Of course, Miss Wanda. I shall inform Miss Romanoff of your arrival" Jarvis replied, an almost perceptible smile hiding in his tone as Wanda wandered down the hallway, finding her way to Natasha's bedroom door with comprehensive ease as Jarvis guided her. The door opened as Wanda reached the end of the hallway, allowing her to enter silently. 

The room was similar to Steve's, with a simple desk pushed up to the long walls and a comfortable bed lay in the centre of the back surface. It was comfortable but organised, with piles of open books and wrinkled maps scattering the surfaces around the room as Wanda moved into the bedroom, the lights illuminating the area slowly until the child could perceive two figures within the bed. While Steve lay on his side, covered by thick blankets and comfortable pillows, Natasha rested perfectly against the headboard, a thick book of loose documents lying closed on her lap. "Hey" Wanda smiled apprehensively as the door closed behind her with an audible click, leaving her stood near the end of the bed. "Are you busy?" She questioned cautiously, gesturing to the book resting upon Natasha's lap. "I can go-" 

"Of course not" Natasha reassured the child, moving to rest her abounded book against the cabinets which stood beside the bed. "Couldn't sleep?" She questioned protectively. 

"I tried  _ really _ hard" Wanda defended herself, "But I couldn't and I didn't want to wake up Pietro" 

"Come here" Natasha smiled, extending her arms out lovingly as Wanda rushed to the other side of the bed. "It's okay" She reassured the young girl, picking her up carefully as Wanda moved to sit in front of her spy, her legs crossed comfortably as Natasha copied her position. "I couldn't sleep either" 

"Really?" The young girl asked cautiously. 

"Yea, I've got a lot of work to do" Natasha nodded dejectedly, "If I do it at night, that means I can spend all day with you and Pietro" Wanda blushed happily, a wide smile playing on her lips. "I was thinking that tomorrow, we could all make breakfast together" 

"And Steve" Wanda shrugged, gesturing to the sleeping figure beside them. "Steve can help make breakfast"

"Of course" The spy nodded seriously, "But he always steals the blueberries for the pancakes. Do you think you can guard them for me?" Wanda smiled ecstatically, "Steve won't stand a chance" 

"Nat...you always tell the truth right?" Wanda questioned hesitantly, a serious glint in her eyes. 

"I try to" Natasha nodded, "I try to always tell you and your brother the truth" She continued, "Why? What's wrong?" 

"Nothing's wrong" Wanda reassured the spy, "It's just...are Pietro and me why you're tired? I see you yawn a couple of times" She informed the spy, watching as a soft and embarrassed blush coated her cheeks. Natasha had tried -truly, she had- but the week had been long and she had quickly grown exhausted, unused to the responsibilities that plagued her as a foster mother. "Are Pietro and I why you have a lot of work?" 

"No, it's nothing like that" Natasha shook her head, watching as worry continued to grow within Wanda's eyes. "Come here" Natasha sighed, extending her legs out as Wanda crawled closer to her, resting her back against the spy's chest while Natasha wrapped her arms comfortably around the young girl's torso. "The agency that I work for...they're not exactly made for children" 

"So it is mine and Pietro's fault" Wanda grumbled sadly. 

"No, Маленький кролик" Natasha smiled, "It just means that a lot of people care about you. They want to make sure that you and Pietro are truly looked after which means that I have to show them evidence" 

"If they care then why don't they ask us?" Wanda questioned curiously, "Pietro and I can tell them that we like it here. Then they can leave you alone and you can sleep" 

"It's not that easy" Natasha smiled, "Thank you for your consideration though" 

"Grown-ups always make things comp-complicated" Wanda stuttered with a frown, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. "We won't lie, I promise" 

"I know" Natasha nodded, placing a swift kiss against Wanda's head. "But they want to be sure. It'll be done by tomorrow -just a small meeting in the afternoon- but it does mean that you and Pietro will be staying with Steve. I have to be in one of the meeting rooms for a while." Despite the couples earlier worries about responsibility, they had settled perfectly within the routine of newly-made foster parents. Habits were improved as the week advanced until a steady schedule was finalised, allowing the children to grow more comfortable within their new home. This meant that neither of the two foster parents had been more than a couple of meters away from the children, to ensure their safety and well-being. Natasha's impromptu meeting with the director of S.H.I.E.L.D would be the first time either of the left and, having been personally asked for by Nick Fury himself, Natasha had very little chance of declining the offer. Nick Fury was the closest thing to a father figure Natasha had and his approval, respect and guidance were greatly appreciated by the spy. A sudden meeting was never a cause of concern in S.H.I.E.L.D's program -sudden missions which required specific skill-sets and continuous mental and physical evaluations, which were performed for the health of their employees, led to unexpected meetings with many of the head officers in the program- but Natasha rarely experienced one so close after her last mission, less than one month previous, with the head of the office. It was clear Nick Fury wished to talk and, after the sudden events which had taken place, Natasha was petrified of the outcome. 

"I really can't go with you?" Wanda pouted sadly, "Not even to say hello to them? I'll be good, I promise. I'll just sit there" She reassured the spy, "I can tell your boss that we like it here and they can leave you alone" 

"Yea? You'd stick up to my boss for me?" Natasha questioned, a teasing smile on her lips. 

"Of course" Wanda nodded innocently, the five-year-old grinning happily at her seemingly perfect plan. 

"Well, I appreciate the help, Wanda. I promise if I need you, I'll come to get you and you can give my boss a piece of your mind" Wanda giggled happily, unknowingly cuddling further into Natasha's chest as she yawned quietly.  _ Yea _ , Natasha thought with a soft smile,  _ Nick's going to love her _ . "But for now, you are needed here. You need to look after everyone; I'm trusting you" Wanda nodded confidently, "For the meantime, this allows you to spend more time with everyone" 

"Okay" Wanda nodded happily, resting her head against Natasha's shoulder with a tired sigh. "Promise you'll come back?" 

"Oh, возлюбленная" Natasha sighed sadly, "Is that what this is all about? You think I'll leave?" 

"Well...yea" Wanda shrugged, "You said you'll help us but you can't find Dad and you never said that you'd keep us" Natasha sighed sadly at the information. After settling the two children into their new life, Natasha and Steve had tried to find their foster father with very little success. "It's already been a week" She continued, "I just thought..." 

"Is that why you can't sleep?" Natasha questioned. 

"I just...want to remember this place" Wanda shrugged, "I can't do that if I'm asleep" 

"Oh, Wanda" Natasha sighed sadly, "We'll stay for as long as you need us. I promise. Everything is finalised" Natasha reassured the young girl, pressing a gentle kiss against Wanda's forehead. "You'll be alright. I'll just be downstairs, five minutes away." 

"But you're not staying forever" Wanda pointed out softly, "You'll leave sometime. You said so yourself, you're meeting your boss because of us. They don't want you to have us" 

"No, детка, that's not it at all" Natasha promised, "You're our family, Wanda. Both you and your brother are wanted here and no one, not even my workplace, is going to affect that" 

"You'll get fired" She exclaimed, "You can't get fired because of us" 

"Trust me, they won't fire me" Natasha smiled, "I'm sure they'll love you but tomorrow, they need to talk to me alone. Even Steve isn't allowed to attend. It's top-secret" 

"Really?" She questioned sceptically. 

"Of course" Natasha nodded, "But hey, why don't I make it up to you? Tomorrow we can have a day to ourselves, a day where you're in charge. We can do whatever you want" 

"Really?" Wanda asked. 

"Of course" She repeated, "You can invite whoever you want and for that afternoon, no one will bother us. I promise" 

"Anyone? Even Pietro?" She asked quietly. 

"Especially Pietro" Natasha grinned, "I know that over the past week, you and he have spent time with both me and Steve but I was thinking that some personal time would be great too. Gives us both a chance to know you more" 

"And Pep" Wanda nodded happily, "She works a lot. I want her to have a break" 

"That's very kind of you" Natasha grinned, "I'm sure she'll love to join us" 

"Maybe later..." Wanda began excitably, "Nevermind" 

"No, tell me" Natasha smiled, "I bet it was great" 

"Well, maybe later we can get everyone" Wanda shrugged, "We could have a full day of watching movies. Tony was in the lab all day today" She complained, "He's always busy" 

"I know" Natasha nodded sadly, "But it's because he loves you very much. You and your brother are very special to all of us, Wanda. We want you safe and Tony's working to keep you safe" The young girl nodded softly, "Well, anyway, we'll ask them all tomorrow at breakfast but now, why don't we sleep? I don't know about you but I'm exhausted" 

"Okay," Wanda agreed, "Can you...can you take me back to my room? I don't want Pietro waking up alone" 

"Okay," Natasha smiled in understanding, "Thank you, Wanda. For trusting me enough to tell why everything" She praised the young girl, "That was very brave of you" 

"Thanks" Wanda smiled tiredly, "I can't wait for tomorrow" She whispered happily, eyes closing softly with exhaustion. "I love you, Nat" 

Small tears of happiness erupted through the spy's emerald green eyes, a large smile appearing on her lips as she placed a swift but gentle kiss against the young girl's forehead. "I love you too, Wanda. So much" 

* * *

"You sure you'll be fine without me?" Natasha questioned cautiously as she walked into the kitchen, gently soothing over the soft fabric of her pencil skirt. A light blouse clung perfectly to her chest, tucked into the skirt, with sheer sleeves and a low neckline, showing the delicate necklace which encased her neck. Her exaggerated heels clicked against the wooden floor as she walked around the island, pressing swift kisses onto the twin's heads from where they sat against the counter. Pepper waved softly in greeting from the other side of the counter, her laptop sat before her as she worked silently, ignoring the soft hum of laughter from the rest of the team in the living room. "You can handle everything?" She questioned once again, leaning against the counter as Steve prepared dinner. Breakfast had been served hours ago while Natasha and Wanda cuddled peacefully on the sofa, exhausted from their late conversation the previous night as the remaining members of the group prepared breakfast. The two girls had barely moved from their position, accepting plates of food as it arrived until Wanda once again fall asleep, cuddled into the spy's arms before Natasha was forced to move and prepare for her meeting with the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. 

"Nat, we'll be fine" Steve reassured her. "You'll only be gone for an hour or so and you're just downstairs" 

"I know" Natasha sighed heavily, "It's just..." 

"Look" Steve smiled, turning to gently grasp her hands within his own. "If anything happens, we'll call you. You have your phone, right? The twins are going to spend the afternoon with Tony and Bruce in the labs. We'll give you constant updates." 

"I know" Natasha repeated, gesturing softly to the small handbag resting against her arm. "My phone is fully charged and I should have cell reception. It's Bruce and Tony; the twins will be fine" She reassured herself. "I'm five minutes away; nothing will happen" 

"Exactly" Steve replied, "So, what's wrong?" 

"It's just..."She sighed reluctantly, "This is the first time I'm going to be away from them and logically I know they're with you but...what if something happens?" 

"It won't" Steve reassured the spy, "Tony updated Jarvis to the best of his ability and you checked every entrance and escape multiple times. If the Black Widow can't enter and exit this place without someone knowing then no one can" He smiled proudly, "The twins will be down one floor,  _ right under me _ . They'll be fine, Nat. I promise" 

"Okay," Natasha smiled, "I trust you" 

"Good" Steve grinned, leaning forward to place a swift kiss against the spy's lips. "Now, go and tell Fury about our amazing family. I bet he'd be proud of you" He smiled softly, "Don't be too long though. I was thinking -after the twins go to sleep- we could have a movie night?" He suggested, "We haven't had one for a while" 

"Since the twins arrived" Natasha nodded slowly, "I'd love too...but, I promised Wanda a story before bed tonight" 

"And after?" Steve questioned. 

"I was going to help Pepper with the press" Natasha smiled sympathetically, "Maybe another night?" Leaning forward, Natasha pressed a swift but loving kiss against the soldier's lips, sighing contently as Steve gently wrapped his arms around her torso. "I need to get going. Once this meeting is over, I promised a relaxing day with Wanda and Pietro" 

"Yea? Am I included in this?" Steve teased softly. 

"Sorry, my soldier" Natasha chuckled, "Wanda gets to decide who gets invited" She glanced causally towards the young girl, "After her worrying last night, I wanted to let her have some control. So far, she has invited Pepper and Tony. She said they looked tired" 

"She's a good kid" Steve hummed, "They both are" 

"Which is exactly what I'll be telling Nick and anyone else that questions it" Natasha sighed, "Speaking of, I'm going to be late" She smiled, slowly pulling away. "I'll call you when I leave" 

"Good luck" Steve replied happily, returning to the stove beside him. 

"Bye, kids" Natasha smiled, "Be good for Steve and everyone"

"You're leaving now?" Wanda pouted adorably, turning in her seat to face the spy. 

"Sadly" Natasha nodded, stepping forward to press a gentle kiss against the young girl's forehead, repeating the motion with her brother. "I'll be downstairs. If you need anything, tell Jarvis or any adult, okay?" She questioned protectively. "I'll be an hour or so" 

"And then you'll come back?" Pietro asked, smiling softly as Natasha reached forward, carefully running her fingers through his unruly hair. 

"Of course" Natasha promised, "Now, enjoy your time with Tony" 

"Okay" The twins nodded happily, "We love you" Wanda beamed, leaning forward to encase her arms around the spy's torso tightly. Pietro followed his sister's movement, resting his forehead against Natasha's stomach as the spy smiled largely, ignorant to the beaming grins of the family on the other side of the floor. 

"I love you both, so much" Natasha grinned. "Now, I have to go" She smiled, pressing a final kiss onto their heads. "I'll be back in no time, мои маленькие пауки" 

"Okay" The twins nodded as they pulled away. 

"Hey, where's my 'I love you'?" Steve groaned teasingly from beside the twins as Natasha began to walk towards the elevator, a large smile of unrelenting happiness on her reddened lips. 

"Where's my food?" Wanda shoots back quickly, a teasing smile on her lips as the living room erupted into proud laughter, having stopped their conversations in favour of listening to the small family in the kitchen. 

"Touche" Steve smiled warmly, turning back towards the kitchen. 

"Jarvis, take me down to the meeting rooms please" Natasha ordered softly, gently readjusting the grasp of her handbag on her arm. 

"Nat, wait a sec'" Before the doors of the elevator could close, Clint tactically ran across the smooth floor of the kitchen, joining Natasha in the large escalator with a large smile. Natasha smiled softly at the archer as he quickly adjusted the comfortable material of his buttoned top. "Thanks for waiting" 

"I didn't do anything" She smiled, "Jarvis stopped the doors from closing on your nose" She shrugged, "So what is it you wanted to talk about? Anything wrong?" 

"Why must there always be something wrong?" He questioned. 

"Because we live this life" She gestured around her softly. "I grow weary when something  _ doesn't  _ go entirely wrong" 

"Well, nothings wrong" He sighed heavily, "Matter of a fact, everything great. That's what I wanted to talk about" He paused slowly, gathering his words. "Those kids of yours are something great" He smiled, "You and Steve seem happy" 

"We are" Natasha nodded, "I didn't know to have children could be so great" She smiled, eyes wide with happiness. "Watching you be a father has been one of the highlights of my life, Clint but...you truly did lie" 

"Lie?" He questioned with confusion. 

"About how good it is" She smiled, turning to face him. "I've never been so happy" 

"That's great, Nat" He agreed cheerfully, "That's kind of what I wanted to talk about" He agreed. "Laura heard about the twins from the news; she called me right after" 

"I'm sorry, Clint. It completely slipped my mind" She groaned softly, "I should have called her as soon as they went to sleep. Apologise for me, will you?" 

"She was completely fine with it" Clint chuckled, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "She knew it probably slipped your mind but she said that you could make it up to her by visiting" 

"I will" Natasha promised, "After everything has calmed down, I'll leave for the weekend. I miss my little Copper and Lila" She smiled. 

"They miss their Aunt Nat" Clint grinned in agreement, "But you don't have to leave the twins. I'm sure the kids would love to meet their new cousins" 

"I know" Natasha nodded, "But the rest of the team don't know. I told Laura last time I visited, I'm okay with waiting for as long as I have to tell people" She smiled reassuringly, "After all, it's not my decision to make" 

"That's actually what I wanted to tell you" Clint chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck as the elevator stopped at the appropriate floor, the doors opening slowly. Thankfully empty, the soft click of the spy's shoes echoed through the large hallway of meeting rooms, translucent glass allowing the two heroes to see into the simplistic rooms filled with large tables and chairs. "Laura and I were talking about it with the children" 

"Oh?" Natasha questioned, "You did?" 

"Yea" Clint smiled hesitantly, "We just thought that with a new baby on the way and with the team being more stable than ever, it was a good time to tell them about the children" He shrugged, "Actually, it was Lila who suggested it. She complained about not seeing you as often as she could and wanted it to change" 

"That's amazing, Clint" Natasha beamed truthfully, "You'll get to spend more time with them. I miss my little nephew and niece" She sighed heavily, "And I know you miss them" 

"It's just...everything has finally settled after the twins arrived so I wanted to ask you what you thought" Clint hesitated, "You're family, Nat, and we -me and Laura, that is- wanted you to be secure before we threw a loophole at your life" 

"That's understandable" She smiled warmly, "But...remember all those years back? When Cooper was young and you were scared out of your mind? You didn't know how to change a diaper but that didn't matter because you could learn? You loved him enough to learn" She reminisced softly, "And when Lila was born? You promised to protect her, against every demon we faced as heroes and against every evil in the world. Even if you knew the thing you were promising was impossible, you did it anyway because you would gladly take your last breath to make sure they were okay" 

"I remember" Clint nodded peacefully, "I never wanted them to grow up and face the world but I never wanted them unprepared either" 

"That...is exactly what Steve and I feel about the twins" Natasha sighed, "That sense of protectiveness and love that has been foreign to us previously. I get it now...and Clint, I don't know how you were able to keep them a secret for so long" She smiled warmly, "So what it's worth, I think you should tell them. You should be able to see your kids whenever you wanted" 

"Thank you, Nat" He breathed out a soft sigh of relief. 

"And anyway..." She smiled teasingly, "It means I would be able to freely spoil my darling nephew and nieces" 

"You're so adamant that this new kid will be a girl, aren't you?" Clint questioned curiously, "A baby Natasha running around" 

"Of course" Natasha smiled proudly, "She and Lila will be the strongest girls in the world, mark my words" She promised. 

"They already are" Clint beamed, "They have a great aunt" 

"They'll have more amazing aunts if you tell the team" Natasha pointed out, "And uncles too. Imagine Tony's face when he figures out that you've had kids all this time and he hasn't been able to spoil them" 

"Oh god," Clint groaned playfully, "I hate to imagine it...Nat, you know you'll be their favourite still, right?" He questioned, "Doesn't matter how many toys Tony builds or how many patriotic speeches Steve delivers, you'll always be their aunt, Nat" 

"I know" She smiled softly, "But those kids deserve so much more than  _ just _ me. They deserve an entire army of love, ready to protect them. The Avenger can do that" She promised. 

"I am sorry, Nat" Clint apologised suddenly, "You're right, those kids deserve that love but we waited and...and you had to lie for us. I'm sorry that we put you in that position" He continued, "Twisting the truth to Steve couldn't have been easy" 

"My entire life has been built on a foundation of rotten lies, meant to hurt and destroy people" Natasha sighed brokenly, "This lie...No matter how big it grew to become, I knew it was the best. It protected your family and that was enough for me" She smiled softly, "It wasn't my decision to make" 

" _ Our _ " He corrected, "It protected  _ our  _ family, Nat and we want you in this decision. We're going to tell the team in a couple of days if that's okay with you?" He questioned, "You've just got the twins and everything's sort of a mess..." 

"I know" Natasha nodded, "But if I'm honest, having the twins just makes me want to see them more. I miss my little Copper running up to me and asking for stories about my adventures. I miss my darling Lila asking for drawings of the scenery that she can copy" She smiled reminiscently, "I miss those little rascals and the twins have only shown that more" 

"They miss you" Clint smiled, "Seeing the news...Copper asked if they were getting cousins" 

"He did?" She gasped, "Now you have to let me visit them" 

"You don't need permission, Nat. Come around any time you can" Clint offered, "Laura was thinking of inviting all of the team to the farm for a long weekend; one's coming up in a week or so" He shrugged, "She wants to talk to you about it though" 

"I'll call her tonight or in the morning" Natasha promised him, "We can talk then" 

"Thank you again, Nat. I know this probably isn't the best timing" 

"Nonsense" She chuckled, "The twins should get to experience as much family as they can" 

"Agreed" Clint nodded. 

"I'll talk to Steve about it" Natasha promised sincerely, "If he agrees to the trip, the rest of the team will follow" Clint nodded happily, "Now, I hate to cut this short..." 

"Of course" Clint smiled, gently pulling the spy into a tight hug. "Go tell Fury all about those amazing twins" 

* * *

"Jarvis, can you call Director Fury?" Natasha inquired gracefully as she entered one of the numerous vacant office rooms, furnished perfectly with a small desk pushed near the end of the room and comfortable sofa's lining the opaque glass walls. Striding towards the end of the room, Natasha set her handbag against the glass surface of the desk before sitting down in the large chair offered to her, opening the computer before her with perfected ease. The director of S.H.I.E.L.D sat crossly on the other side of the computer, his piercing eye staring blankly at Natasha as the spy folding her hands together confidently. "Director Fury" Natasha greeted assuredly, eyes ranking the pinched brows of the director as his lips pressed together in a tight frown. 

"Agent Romanoff" He replied, voice void of emotion. "Do you know the reason for this meeting?" He questioned, cutting to the case. 

"Yes, sir" She nodded, "About the recent fostering of the twins" 

"Exactly" Fury nodded, "Do you know how many times the president has called me?" He continued, restrained annoyance burning at his tone as Natasha noiselessly raised a single eyebrow in response. "Twelve times in the last week, Agent Romanoff, asking for information about an event that  _ should not  _ have taken place. Twelve times, Agent Romanoff-" He repeated, venom dripping from his tone, "-the government of this nation asked for information that they could not be given because you and that soldier refused all calls" 

"All due respect, sir, it's none of their business" Natasha replied emotionlessly, "It is within my rights to provide a home for the twins. The legal documentation has already been signed" 

"Natasha-" Fury huffed indifferently. 

"Sir, we  _ can  _ and  _ will  _ provide a home for these children for as long as we can" Natasha interrupted determinedly, "We couldn't have given you a warning for our decision because it was not one we had much time to think about" 

"Exactly" Fury nodded, "You didn't think this through. What about your assignments?" 

"They're voluntary" Natasha shrugged, "I have never denied an assignment or took any days off. Neither has Steve" Fury nodded in slow understanding, "We're going to deny any mission that comes our way unless it is extremely important which should give S.H.I.E.L.D enough time to prepare for our paired paternity leave" 

"S.H.I.E.L.D can not afford to lose its highest-ranking members" Fury argued, "Paternity leave can be granted for a small amount of time but after that..." He hesitated. In truth, the news of the sudden fostering hadn't been a complete surprise to Fury as he understood the couple's unrelenting desire for children. He understood that fostering -or something similar- was the couples only option but as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D, his responsibilities forced him to think logistically. He loved Natasha -she was the closest thing to a daughter he had come to having- and valued her decision but his job was forced to hide his sudden happiness. 

"We recognise that" Natasha nodded, "We were hoping that S.H.I.E.L.D would be understanding and allow one of us to be with the twins. Only the most important missions should require both of us" Fury nodded slowly, "We'll talk to the government ourselves but Nick-" She paused, sighing softly. "-We need S.H.I.E.L.D's help if they are ever going to listen to us" 

"What exactly are you going to tell them?" Fury questioned protectively, "They already want to limit the Avenger's power. One wrong move could eliminate all of your hard work" 

"The truth. We'll tell them the truth" Natasha shrugged, "Those twins...they mean so much to Steve and me that we can't lose them now. The whole team have learnt to love them and we're willing to fight for them" 

"Against all consequences?" Fury questioned sceptically. 

"I should hope so" Natasha sighed reluctantly, watching with narrowed eyes as Fury sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. "They've been staying with us for a week and the team seem to have fallen in love with them. Wanda and Pietro love it here and we love them" She continued deservingly, "Despite our status within S.H.I.E.L.D, Steve and I are still adults. The government can't legally do anything" 

"You are a spy" Fury replied sternly.

"Voluntarily" Natasha argued, "I have been working for the last decade of my life for the government of the United States of America and the least they can do, is give me the opportunity of a family" Fury nodded slowly in agreement, "Unless they can actively prove any mistreatment, the government can't do anything, neither can S.H.I.E.L.D" 

"You have faith in your ability to raise two children" Fury noted. 

"I do" Natasha nodded, "For the first time in my life, I have faith that  _ something  _ will go good" 

"And if it doesn't?" He questioned. 

"...I don't know" Natasha shrugged, "All I know is...I love them as if they were my own and that may not matter to the government or S.H.I.E.L.D, but it matters to me and Steve" Fury nodded slowly, leaning back into his chair with a tired sigh. 

"You love them?" he questioned emotionlessly. 

"With all my heart" Natasha smiled warmly, "I know it's soon but...I don't know what I'd do without them. Pietro and Wanda make me feel as if I'm not a monster" Fury smiled slowly, eyes sparkling with hidden delight as Natasha blushed softly. "The last person to ever do that was Steve and...you. You always had faith in me, Nick, please don't lose it now" 

"...If this is what you want" He began, hesitation lacing his tone as Natasha nodded brightly in agreement. "Then S.H.I.E.L.D will continue to support you and Steve in all of your decisions" She smiled warmly, eyes filled with relief as she collapsed peacefully against the chair. "And Natasha...I'm proud of you. You did good" 

"Thank you" She thanked bashfully, "And hey...we're probably going over to Clint's farm over the next weekend if you want to meet the twins? If you're not too busy that is" She laughed nervously, cheeks pink with an obscure blush. 

"Of course" Fury nodded happily, "I'll check my schedule" 

* * *

"Finally, some rest" Natasha groaned tiredly as she exited her bathroom, stopping momentarily to collect a pair of pyjamas before stepping into her large walk-in-wardrobe, drops of water escaping her otherwise dry hair and landing relaxingly against her damp skin. After ending her call with Fury, Natasha had left the floor in search of Clint, explaining to the archer that Fury was likely to visit the farm as she, noticing the time, began to prepare for the group's diner. While the twins and other adults of the family remained downstairs in Tony's lab, Natasha and Clint talked happily with one another, simple conversations passing the time before the group was forced to separate themselves from the newest -and safest- inventions within Tony's lab due to their growing hunger. 

Their diner was a modest affair, multiple conversations fluttering perfectly amongst the large table. Afterwards, the twins settled down for their promised relaxation, using the long afternoon as an excuse to leave the remaining group. Nails were painted and hair fixed as the small group relaxed within the living room -the rest of the Avenger's had, begrudgingly, left the floor in favour of giving the small collection time to unwind- before night fell, ending the conflicting day as the twins grew tired. After settling the children in their beds perfectly, pressing swift but loving kisses against their foreheads before tucking them in flawlessly, Natasha and Steve returned to their bedroom, exhaustion finally seeping into their bones. 

"The twins seemed happy today" Steve hummed from against the headboard, resting comfortably within the warm blankets resting on the large bed. Dressed comfortably in grey sweatpants and a simple top, Steve looked up from his sketchbook as Natasha exited the wardrobe, clothed perfectly in one of Steve's forgotten shirts which hung against her knees. 

"They enjoyed it" Natasha smiled, "Pepper promised to teach them both how to paint their nails at a later date. Tony looked dashing with his curled hair; he should wear it like that more often" She continued, moving towards the bed with a relaxed smile. 

"Dashing, hum?" Steve mumbled as Natasha climbed beside him, leaning comfortably against his side. "Should I be worried?" He teased, resting his pencil against the darkened pieces of paper resting within his lap. They were small sketches, yet to be finished, of simple scenes within the past week. Many included the twins, smiling widely around smaller, less detailed, members of the group of heroes. It was clear that the twins were happy, equal expressions of happiness and delight within their eyes as they played video games and helped prepare dinner, each activity perfectly displayed within the drawings. 

"Not at all" Natasha beamed, resting her head tiredly against his shoulder. "The drawings are beautiful" She smiled, "The twins look happy" 

"I'm thinking about asking them to try and draw one day" Steve explained, "Think they would like it?" 

"Wanda perhaps" Natasha shrugged, "She would probably enjoy it but Pietro...he's too quick. Wouldn't be able to stay still long enough. It's a miracle you have these drawings" She smiled, gesturing to the drawings before them. "You are talented though; I shouldn't be surprised" 

"You are so charming" Steve sighed, "And right. Poor Pietro wouldn't stay still" 

"It's alright" Natasha nodded, "The afternoon you teach Wana to draw, I'll teach Pietro something. I'm sure one of my skills is bond to impress him and that way, he won't be left out." She explained with a tired sigh. "I helped Pepper with the press...She said an official statement can wait; let's see what they come up with and decide whether it's worth changing now" 

"That's understandable" Steve agreed.

"And that means...we have the next weekend free" Natasha continued nervously. 

"Of course" Steve nodded, "What were you thinking?" He questioned, turning to press a swift kiss against the spy's forehead. "Whatever it is, I'm sure the kids will love it" He reassured her. 

"It was Clint who suggested it" Natasha revealed, "He owns a farm in the countryside. It's basically in the middle of nowhere and he offered to take us all for the weekend" Steve hummed apprehensively. 

"That's nice of him" Steve mumbled, "But...why does Clint own a farm when he's always here?" 

"He has some family that lives there" Natasha shrugged, "He visits them often and was going to go anyway so he invited us all. We can take the Quinjet if you want to go" 

"Of course" Steve smiled warmly, "That's a brilliant idea. I'll have to thank him" 

"He wants to take the rest of the team as a surprise. I'm sure Pepper will know but that's it" Natasha explained. 

"Of course" Steve agreed, "It sounds great. I'm sure the kids will love it" 

"Yea" Natasha smiled softly, leaning into Steve's touch as he wrapped his arm around her torso. "I'm sure they will" 


End file.
